NOTORIOUS MURDERS > MOST FAMOUS

Sandra Cantu

By Tricia Romano

Sandra is Found

On April 6, Jose Luis Franco was working at a dairy farm just north of Tracy when he noticed something unusual. In the pond, a piece of luggage appeared to have been left behind. He called the authorities, who spent several hours at the scene—they were not yet aware what was inside the suitcase, nor did they know it had any connection with the Cantu case. After processing the scene, the authorities announced that a body had been found inside the suitcase, and that the body was indeed Sandra's, ending the 10-day hunt for the 8-year old. Franco was later awarded $20,000 for locating the luggage that held the body.

That night police declared the mobile home park a crime scene and spent numerous hours questioning Pastor Lane Lawless.

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1. Introduction
2. Sandra Disappears
3. The Search Begins
4. The Suspects
5. Sandra is Found
6. Zeroing In
7. Melissa Arrested, Disbelief
8. Cracks in the Surface
9. New Details Revealed
10. Grand Jury Indictment